Homemade Antidote for Snake Venom

There are many types of snakes in the U.S., but only two are poisonous. These are the pit viper, a variety which includes rattlesnakes, copperheads and cottonmouths and the coral snake, a variety of cobra. According to the site Health Lessons Online, around 45,000 Americans are bitten by snakes every year and 9,000 experience snake poisoning (although only 15 cases a year are fatal). If you are bitten by a snake, it can be a very scary experience and you must seek medical help immediately. However, there are several things you can do in the interim to assist paramedics and help prevent the poison from spreading.

Instructions

• 1

  Move the person away from the snake and then call an ambulance. A venomous snake bite needs professional medical care and it is not worth the risk to wait and see how your symptoms develop before calling in the experts.

• 2

  Remove the venom that you can by placing your mouth against the wound and sucking. According to Health Lessons Online, this is a normal treatment if the attack was very recent. Spit out anything that comes into your mouth.

• 3

  Remove anything that could get caught in the swelling around the bite such as rings, watches and tight clothing. According to online medical resource Merck, you should also keep the person as calm and still as possible.

• 4

  Keep the bitten limb immobilized and just below heart level to help slow the rate in which infected blood is pumped around the body and wait for the ambulance.